Southern foes will collide when the Furman Paladins (14-11) face the UNC Greensboro Spartans (9-15) at Timmons Arena. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 8.
The Paladins fell to Chattanooga 62-54 on Saturday. Stephen Croone was the team’s leading scorer, recording 18 points. The Spartans, meanwhile, are coming off a tough 68-65 loss to East Tennessee State on Saturday. Demetrius Troy posted 14 points, five steals, and two rebounds.
Over the last five games, Kayel Locke has been on fire for the Spartans. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Spartans winning the first matchup 67-66. Croone had a standout performance with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and five three-pointers in the loss.
The Paladins are attempting to build on their records of 14-11 Straight Up (SU) and 9-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Paladins have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 76.7 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 69.3 points per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Furman defense has been very good, only giving up 63.9 points per game.
On the other side, the Spartans have records of 9-9 ATS and 9-15 SU. Most recently, UNC Greensboro is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. The Spartans rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 32nd in the nation with 213 made (8.0 per game). The Spartans average 74.2 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 64.5 points per game during that span.
UNC Greensboro beat Furman in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The teams also have an even 5-5 record ATS in the most recent meetings. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, UNC Greensboro held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last five meetings. Furman never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Furman, ATS Winner – Furman
Notes
UNC Greensboro averages 72.4 points per game, placing the team just 155th in the nation. Furman ranks 20th in points allowed, giving up 63.9 points per game.
In its last game, UNC Greensboro lost by a margin of three points. Furman is 3-3 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. UNC Greensboro has a 2-2 record in close games.
The UNC Greensboro Spartans average 68.4 possessions per game and 1.058 points per possession. The Furman Paladins earn fewer possessions with 65.2, but they score more points with 1.063.
The Furman Paladins average an effective field goal percentage of 51.4% this season. The UNC Greensboro Spartans have a subpar record of 1-13 when opponents have an eFG% of 51.4% or greater.
On average, Furman attempts 22.0 three pointers and UNC Greensboro attempts 24.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Furman Paladins have a 7-10 record while the UNC Greensboro Spartans have an underachieving 8-14 record.
Furman has forced an average turnover percentage of 20.9% this season. UNC Greensboro is a winless 0-5 SU when its TO% is 20.9% or higher.
